IP address != address

For years I have been saying that the belief one IP address equals one household is rubbish and harmful. One IP address equals one router, or computer, or even an entire network hidden behind that one address which the outside world can’t see. Our provider like many in the UK uses rotating IP addresses, which can be fun when they shift and either you’re locked out or suddenly someone starts assuming you are someone you’re not (although seeing their google ads after a switch is sometimes amusing). It’s even more fun because the local college has one IP address, thanks to a security minded sysadmin. 600 odd people, changing every year, all on the same IP… It plays havoc with many US sites. And now it turns out that even law enforcement make these stupid mistakes. Not to mention scam victims, etc. and you don’t have to be on a rotating IP to cause the issue. It just takes one large company deciding to use your house as default: http://fusion.net/story/287592/internet-mapping-glitch-kansas-farm/ Maximind are moving the locations to the centre of bodies of water, but meanwhile I hope either they are going to compensate the victims for years of harrassment, that when it comes down to it are entirely their own fault. I use an open source system. If it can’t find a location for an IP, guess what it returns? Not a made-up map location, but a country code. It’s only one more function guys. Add it. And good for Fusion for figuring this out.

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This blog has now moved to http://www.rablogs.co.uk/tirial, where the original article can be found.  IP address != address - http://rablogs.co.uk/tirial/2016/04/11/ip-address-address/ was published on April 11, 2016 at 11:29 am.